SINGAPORE / EuroWire.IO / – The international police organization INTERPOL has launched a campaign warning the public about scams that use AI-generated or AI-altered media. The initiative, announced on Monday, October 19, centers on three short videos that were themselves produced with artificial intelligence. The clips show how synthetic media, widely known as deepfakes, can be turned against unsuspecting people. Its message tells the public to “Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait.” INTERPOL, which has 196 member countries, said awareness of the threat remains limited.
One video shows a criminal posing as a boss, while others depict a cloned female voice and a fabricated romantic partner. Generative AI apps and the large language models that power them are growing more capable by the day, INTERPOL said. Creating convincing fakes no longer demands major technical skills or spending. The tools can build hyper-realistic avatars that speak like humans. They can copy the face or voice of a real person using only a little material taken from the internet.
Deepfake crime was once regarded chiefly as a danger to public figures. It now increasingly hits private citizens through investment fraud, impersonation, romance scams, sextortion, deepfake pornography and disinformation. In practice, a victim might receive a video call from an apparent colleague asking for a bank transfer. Others might get a call from a family member who appears to be in trouble. Each scheme aims to steal money or sensitive personal data. Earlier reports have shown that criminal groups use AI for cybercrime and fraud.
Red flags as AI erases old scam signals
Toshinobu Yasuhira, who directs the INTERPOL Innovation Centre, said AI is removing the familiar signs of fraud. Errors in spelling, inconsistent branding and awkward formatting are quickly becoming obsolete as warning signals, Yasuhira said. People of any age, region or sector can be targeted, according to Yasuhira. INTERPOL’s work is designed to give police and the public the knowledge and tools to spot these threats early. The United Nations adopted a landmark cybercrime treaty in December 2024 to strengthen cooperation against such crimes.
INTERPOL urged the public to watch for unsolicited contact from strangers or from people claiming to be friends, relatives or trusted organizations. Such approaches often shift quickly to personal details, bank information or money. Pressure to act at once, frequently tied to a personal crisis or family emergency, is another warning sign. Scammers may use fear, distress or insistence on secrecy to stop targets from seeking advice. Demands for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards should also raise suspicion, since such funds are hard to trace.
Verify contacts and agree on a safe word
Online relationships that turn intense very quickly, with declarations of love and emotional dependence, can also signal a scam. Targets may be pushed to leave official dating platforms, where monitoring and reporting systems operate. INTERPOL advised people to remain calm and skeptical and to take time to assess any request, even from someone they appear to know. Talking the situation through with others can help. For unsolicited calls, people should hang up and reach the person through a known, verified channel.
INTERPOL recommended that families and close friends agree on a safe word or secret question to confirm identities during suspicious calls. People should also check the online presence of new contacts and confirm that profile photos have not been copied from other sources. Two-factor authentication should be switched on for every online account. The campaign is part of Project SynthWave PLUS, financed by the Government of Japan. The project helps law enforcement in Southeast Asia and beyond respond to synthetic media threats.